Turned to Dust
by Anne-Marie
Summary: LabyrinthBuffy Crossover. Xander's cousin Sarah is visiting CA for an acting audition, but almost as soon as she comes Buffy, Spike and Sarah are sent on the adventure of their lives. (Set in Season 4 and after the movie)
1. Welcome to Sunnydale, Sarah Williams

Jareth leaned back in his throne and closed his eyes; another baby played in the pit at the base of his throne. The child had been wished away by, "Surprise, surprise, " he thought, an older sister. They all seemed the same to him, of all the children that had been wished to him, only two incidents really stood out in the Goblin King's memory. The most recent had been not so long ago, in terms of an immortal. Sarah had left an indelible impression on the Goblin King. He wasn't sure if what he felt for her was love or the lingering affects of her fantasies that he had helped her act out. The other incident had taken place many years before Sarah had even been a gleam in her father's eyes. Jareth sighed and allowed the memories of the past to wash over him.

*******

Xander stood in the airport, in front of the gate his mother had told him that his cousin would be arriving at.

"Xander, why is your cousin coming again?"

"She is coming for an acting audition she got out here, and to visit. I haven't seen her since I was like twelve and she was fourteen."

"Xander is that you?" A girl with long brown hair waved as him as she approached the group. She picked up her pace as she saw it really was him and threw her arms around him in a great big bear hug. 

Xander pulled back from the hug after a while, "Wow, Sarah you look great!"

"Thanks," she beamed at him, " you don't look so bad yourself."

Buffy and Willow cleared their throats, reminding their friend of their presence behind him.

"Oh, before I forget--"

"I think you already did, Xand-Man," Buffy cut him off, "I'm Buffy," she said with a welcoming grin.

"And I am Willow," the quiet redhead smiled at Sarah as well.

Sarah beamed back at them; it was great to finally be in California, her mother had told her so much about it. Even if she wasn't going to a Hollywood audition, it still was a step in the right direction.

"Well I bet you are dying to see the fancy digs we have set up for you."

"Yeah, and I can't wait to see your parents again,"

"Me neither," Xander mumbled under his breath, but not low enough for the girls to dismiss it.

Sarah walked next to Xander ahead of Willow and Buffy as they headed for the baggage claim. The two pairs were separated enough that they couldn't hear the other's conversation.

"So what do you think of her Buffy?"

"She seems really nice, not all creepy like the last out of towners we had."

"I hope not cause that would be some big time suckage."

"Majorly, especially since she is his cuz, and not a potential honey."

"I don't think Anya would take it well if she were."

"Tell me about it, I am surprised we got to go with him unchaperoned."

"Well we aren't totally alone with him, to have out wicked ways, I mean Spike is in the car. "

"I know, how come he has to be the only one with a working car?"

They reached the luggage claim area, fortunately Sarah spotted her luggage quickly.

"Xander, what's the matter?"

"Nothing Sarah."

"Oh come on, I may not have seen you in a few years, but I can still tell when my favorite little cousin is blue."

"Nothing new Sarah," Xander dropped his usual defense mechanism of sarcasm and let Sarah know how he really felt, "I guess Mom and Dad, are just realizing that I am not the son they hoped I would be."

"Don't talk that way."

"It's easy for you to say that, you have a perfect happy life, you are living out your dream."

"One of them, yes. But, my life is far from perfect, and I wouldn't always call it happy. And Dad, well he tries to be supportive, but I can tell this isn't what he wants me to do and Karen, I think she is just happy that I am out of her house finally."

"How is that wicked step mother anyways?"

"Xander you are one of the few people that Karen seems to hate more than me."

"Well what can I say, when you have it, you should use it."

"I can't believe that you replaced her wedding ring with a Cracker Jack prize."

"Well.." Xander grinned at his cousin.

"I nearly died laughing."

Xander's grin grew, and he draped an affectionate arm over her shoulder.

The group continued on this way until they reached the black DeSoto. How Giles had managed to get Spike to play taxicab was beyond the Scooby Gang, especially when it was high noon.

"Gotta warn you, Spike is a tad, not happy todayhe is usually sleeping around this time"

"Yeah, we had to practically black mail him into driving us, since he doesn't like people borrowing his baby," Buffy indicated the car.

"OK, I will be sure to thank him then." Sarah frowned, Xander sure had some strange friends.

"Xander I will take the front so none of you have to deal with his errr.... crankiness and the rest of you can sit in the back, let me get the trunk key from him real fast," Buffy carefully opened the door to give Spike warning to dodge any stray sunbeam.

"Hey Spike, you awake?"

"Cor, Slayer, be more careful would ya? I don't want to be sunburned today."

"Hey I tried Spike. I am not here to argue right now, I need the trunk key so we can put Sarah's bags in."

"Oh sod it all, fine," he handed her the key, Buffy was about to dodge back into the sunlight," 'course I haven't opened it in a while, not since Dru and I killed that..." He was cut off by the car door slamming, he chuckled to himself and lit up a cigarette.

Back out side Buffy made her way to the trunk, she held her breath as she opened it, she looked down to find it surprisingly clean, Xander put Sarah's bag's in and Buffy shut it. No one noticed the glass orb that was partially underneath a blanket.

Buffy got in the car first and shut the door quickly; she pulled Spike's head into her lap to protect him from the sunlight that was about to invade through the backseat.

"Don't get any ideas Spike, this is just so I don't have to learn how to drive in this hunk of junk while sitting on a pile of dust."

Spike had been very shocked to say the least at having his head so nicely placed on Buffy's legs, his first reaction had been to curse at her, but her words had silenced him. The back doors opened just as Buffy finished talking, Xander was the first to get in, taking the middle seat, Willow and Sarah flanking him on each side. After Spike heard both doors shut he pulled himself out of the Slayer's lap and turned shifted in his seat to great the new comer.

"Spike, I still say that there is a quarter down there." Spike raised an eyebrow at this random remark from the Slayer.

"Oh is that what you were doing, I was wondering, I thought maybe you were sleeping in her lap, I am Sarah by the way." Sarah extended her hand across Xander and to Spike; he took it and kissed it winking at her.

"Hello, Cutie, I'm William the Bloody, but you can call me Spike." Buffy elbowed him in the ribs.

"Let's get going I am sure Sarah is tired from her flight, we can do that small talk thing on the way." Willow smoothed the situation over. Spike turned around, smirking at Buffy; Buffy stuck her tongue out at him and turned towards the blackened window.

The drove on in silence for a while, until Sarah's curiosity finally got the better of her and she leaned over to Xander and whispered, " Why are all the window's painted black?" Spike's super-natural hearing however picked up her question.

"Cause I like not being dust," he muttered under his breath. Sarah knew he had spoken but only Buffy had been able to tell what he had really said.

"Pardon?" Sarah asked, wanting to know.

"Spike was just muttering about the paint on his windows, he hasn't had time to scrape it off since some weirdo painted it on, " she emphasized the last bit by glaring at Spike, "it was some sort of practical joke," she clarified her lie for Sarah. Willow, Sarah and Xander chatted in the back seat until they pulled into Xander's driveway.

"Well Mates, this is your stop."

"Aren't you coming in?"

"'Fraid not luv, I don't want to be a--"

"At all late, yeah me neither," Buffy cut in, " but we will stop by on are way back from our pat-er..umm...shift."

"Sure thing luv." Spike smirked at Buffy, then turned and winked at Sarah.

Willow, Xander and Sarah got out of the car and got her luggage out as well. Sarah was about to follow them into the house when she realized she forgot something. She ran over to the driver's side of the car and threw open the driver's door.

"Hey Spike I just wanted to thank you for the drive, I know you kind of went out of our way for me, so thanks." With that, she shut the door on a petrified Spike and an almost equally scared Buffy.

"Bloody Hell--"

"That's sums it up pretty well."

Spike gave a reverent look to the huge oak tree that was shading Xander's driveway, before he pulled away from the house.

*******

"You can't stay here William, it isn't safe." The young girl tried to push her younger brother out the back door into the inky black night.

"I want to stay with you Penny," the boy's bright blue eyes looked up at his sister with fear reflecting in them, that mirrored her own.

"You can't," a loud pounding at the weak front door interrupted her," now there is no other way, William I am sorry, just remember I love you." She bent over and hugged him tight, tears streaming down her face.

"I love you too Penny, forever." His sister backed away from him and took a deep breath.

"I wish the Goblins would come and take you away, right now!"

With that, he was gone. A few moments later the Goblin King appeared ready to give his usual speech to a jealous older sibling, however he was shocked by the grim carnage that lay before his eyes.


	2. Rolling with the Punches

****

AN: Ok, here is the next part J Thanks so much for the feed back! Please keep it up, I haven't decided yet who will actually get together Would it be gratuitous to have both couples hook up? I will have to see where this story takes me, anyhow, Disclaimer, still isn't mine, I am in negotiations for Spike, he just doesn't know it yet :D hehehe

Feedback!! Please, I am a slave to it. (Well not really, but if sounding desperate gives you more reason to respond, then I am all for it)

Spike spun and kicked the fledgling on his right towards Buffy's waiting stake. He turned and punched the other on his left, kneeing him in the stomach and whipping out a stake while the vamp was preoccupied, he plunged it in through the back. Spike had decided that since he could fight only demons he might as well do it with the winning team. Especially after the run in he had had with the demon at the bar, he felt he was making good use of the old saying, 'keep your friends close, but keep your enemies closer.'

"Well Spike, guess that's all for tonight. Riley is meeting us at Xander's, he wants to meet Sarah too."

"Not that poof wad." Buffy punched Spike's arm.

"No dissin' the honey."

"Come on, you bad mouth Dru all the time."

"That's because she is a psycho hoe, and not to mention Harmony."

"Bash Harm all you want, just stop with Dru."

"I will think about it."

"Just because it hurts me to hurt you, doesn't mean I won't."

"Whatever Spike, you are all talk." With that, Buffy walked past Spike before he had a chance to reply.

****

There was a knock at the basement door; Xander got up to get it.

"It must be Riley, Buff's boyfriend."

"Riley? I thought his name was Spike?"

"Spike, and Buffy, oh no. Not until pigs fly," Willow exclaimed

"Or someone casts a spell." Xander mumbled.

"But it's just that with the way they acted, with the bickering and all, they seemed like a couple."

"They always have acted that way," Xander opened the door to let the tall well-built figure of Riley Finn in.

"Hi," he waved a bashful hand at Sarah; "I'm Riley."

"And I am Anya, and Xander's mine." A red head from behind him said stepping forward and attaching herself to Xander's arm.

"Anya, sweetie, Sarah is my cousin, cousins don't get together anymore, that whole in breeding thing went out centuries ago."

"Oh, well, still you are mine. So when is everybody going to leave, I want to have sex." Xander's face flushed scarlet, he pulled her off into the laundry room to give her another talk on the things to say and more specifically not to say around people.

Fortunately, the entrance of Spike and Buffy diverted the rest of the group's attention. 

"Ready to go Bronzing you guys?" Buffy walked over to Riley who leaned over to kiss her. 

"Definitely."

A gagging sound came from somewhere near where Spike stood.

Everybody else gathered their stuff and walked out of the basement into the deceivingly calm night.

***At the Bronze****

Buffy Sarah and willow sat at the table, Anya and Xander were dancing, Riley's beeper had gone off soon after they had arrived. He had left after making the appropriate excuses for Sarah's benefit, while Spike had taken up residence on a barstool as he nursed a tall glass of beer.

"No way, he didn't say that!" Sarah's laughter rang out in affirmation of Willow's shock, Buffy soon joined in.

"That is so like him, think Will, this is great black mail material." Willow's expression took a turn for the devious. Before any plans on their friend could be made Xander and Anya walked up to the table

"Hey guys, I think we are going to call it a night, " Sarah got up to leave with them, "you don't have to leave Sarah."

"No don't you need to finish your story, plus I am sure there are a few we could tell you," the wicked glint still evident in Willow's eyes.

"Yeah don't worry we will walk back with you or you can stay in our dorm if you need to, there is plenty of room."

"Well ok, thanks guys," Sarah smiled at her new friends, it was nice to talk to people her own age for once, and Karen had made it hard for her to keep friends. She had always been too busy around the house and watching Toby. Not that it mattered; not many people wanted to be her friend. Her dreamy eyed looked always freaked them out.

Xander and the lusty eyed Anya had left with their hands entwined, after they were gone the girls had continued to swap stories on Xander. As the time passed the conversation topic changed to that of the other male that Sarah had met that day.

"So where did he get the name Spike?"

Buffy plastered a grin on her face and replied, " We were in a band together, he was the lead singer, it's kinda a long story how he got the name Spike..."

"Yeah boring too." Willow chimed in.

"Luv, come on you got her interest now," Spike swaggered over to the girls," besides you tell the story so well." 

"Spike, I think you've had too much, why don't we walk you home?"

"Awww, but Slayer, it was just getting fun." Buffy elbowed him at the use of her title; Sarah raised an eyebrow but didn't say anything.

"You ready to go Sarah?" Willow asked getting up.

"Yeah."

******

The walked across the cemetery, Buffy really didn't want to take Sarah with her on patrols, but she didn't have a choice. She still was having hopes of running into no baddies. Willow had run into Tara right after they left the Bronze. The two had gone off together after making some excuses to the rest of the group. Buffy wondered what those two really did together; their departure had whittled the group down to three, Buffy, Sarah and Spike. Spike was not making it easy for Buffy to keep the whole demons of the night thing under wraps, she wasn't sure if was him being his usual obnoxious self or the alcohol. A drunk Spike was one that often said things more bluntly than Cordelia.

"Well Spike it looks like Sarah won't be meeting your friends tonight," Buffy said as casually as should could as they slowly approached the mausoleum Spike liked to call home.

"I know, such a pity," Sarah's eyes widened at Spike's remark, however her reaction went unnoticed by her companions. Buffy and Spike were back to back in fighting stances.

"You feel them too."

"Yeah all around us."

"Ambush," Buffy growled out. Sarah did not notice Buffy's glance towards her until she yelled, "Sarah!" 

The brunette's face whipped up meeting the sight of Buffy and Spike circling, along with glowing yellow eyes emerging from the surrounding areas of darkness. 

"Sarah---" Buffy's words were cut short with a vampire's heavy blow to her face, however it did little but anger her. She quickly ducked and swept the offending demon's feet from beneath him with her right leg, as soon as he hit the ground Buffy leapt upon him and drove a wooden stake though his heart. Buffy stood and turned to help Spike with the others in the ambush, not even bothering to brush the dust from her clothing.

Sarah's thoughts had been taken off those of her personal trauma to the she was presently in. She felt she should be more scared than she was, however she had the oddest feeling that all would turn out all right.

*****

The creatures ignored William, and he was glad for that. He watched as one chased after a chicken, they certainly were odd little creatures. William turned around in the pit he had been deposited in, there was a huge chair to his back and he looked out a window onto a blue sky. An Owl flew in the window and over William's head, who turned around to look at this new comer instead he was met with the scrutinizing gaze of a man.

"Who have we here? A bit old I must say..."

"W-William, sir."

"Ah, William," the man pulled a crystal ball out of the air, making William's eyes go wide, 

"And let's see who is going into our little Labyrinth for you?"

The man's eyes narrowed at first as he stared into the crystal, suddenly they widened and he frowned.

"I see, William, my lad, stay here the Goblins shall not harm you," he waved his hand in the air, " you must be hungry, I shall be back shortly."

William turned to where the man had gestured; a plate of food stood there, William turned to thank the man but all he saw was the white owl gliding out the window and over the maze. 


	3. Orb of Thessula?

There was no way that Buffy and Spike could defeat their attackers and protect Sarah, they were just too out numbered. So changing tactics they made a break at the earliest opening. As much as they both hated leaving the fight they knew this was the wisest move they could make, they needed to get back to Giles and figure out why there was such an organized attack. Vampires with the exclusion of a very few were not creative or thoughtful enough to attack in such full force. Buffy grabbed Sarah's wrist pulling her into a fast paced run behind Spike.

"My car is over here, we can duck into it and go to the Watcher's." he shouted over his shoulder.

They kept up there pace until they reached the black DeSoto. However, they did not anticipate a second ambush. They were surrounded, again. Their attackers were wearing tight black, Mission Impossible-type outfits, and black ski masks. Spike made to hit one of their attackers he swung his fist and it impacted with the firm form of a jawbone. The vampire immediately staggered back in pain, clutching his head.

"Minor problem luv," he grunted out in pain, " these wankers are human."

Buffy groaned, while she did make a valiant effort to fight of the ambush by herself, Spike being effectively useless along with the helpless Sarah, the sheer volume of the attack was too much, especially when she couldn't easily dispose of her victims with a stake, her only hope was that she could knock them unconscious. Eventually the Slayer's strength began to wan, drained from two very extensive fights, the group closed in on her, and they had already captured Spike and Sarah. Two attackers pinned Buffy to the side of the car while a third pulled a gun on her and a fourth began speaking into a walkie-talkie. 

"What do you want us to do with them?"

A familiar voice responded, however the tinnieness that came from the use of walkie-talkies made it hard for Buffy to pinpoint. 

"Lock them in the trunk."

Another member of the group approached holding Spike's keys in his hands.

Once inside the trunk Buffy could still hear the familiar voice from the walkie-talkie, conversing with the leader of the attack.

"Why the trunk, we could have killed them?"

"Because what do you think will happen when a vampire who can't feed forcibly from humans experiences blood lust, or perhaps a certain slayer breaks out of the trunk for lack of fresh air only to find that it is high noon. The possibilities for mental torture far outweigh immediate death. After all this is revenge." The walkie-talkie's crackling mixed with the speaker's gruesome laugh, into a cacophonous symphony, making Buffy shiver.

They were alone now; their attackers had left them to die. It was very cramped with the three of them in the trunk. The blackness of their space made it feel even more confining, crushing their thoughts as well as their bodies.

"Spike! Why is your trunk so small? I have this hard thing in my back. If only I could turn some I could get enough room to kick the door up."

"I can't move, what about you pet?" Spike addressed Sarah.

"Huh?" Sarah's mind was swimming," oh sorry, no I can't. Say what were those things that attacked us?"

"Science experiments gone wrong?" Buffy tried to joke her way out of the question.

"Slayer I am hungry, got anything for me to eat?" Spike interjected.

"Spike didn't you eat before?"

"Nope, didn't have time, had to go to the bloody airport."

"I wish there were a way out of here..." Sarah sighed.

Spike gasped as a light started to emanate from behind the slayer.

"Spike what IS behind me?" Buffy asked, tension seeping into her voice, she managed to snake her arm around enough to grasp onto a hard round object, she pulled it forward so that everyone in the trunk could see it. Sarah's face, lit up with the glowing of the object, was shadowed with fear and shock as she saw what Buffy was holding. Buffy was amazed at what was before her.

"Spike, why do you have an Orb of Thessula?"

"I don't think that is really any of your business, luv." Spike continued to speak to himself, in his mind, 'Cor, how could I have forgot that was back there? I have it almost my whole bloody life. And why the bloody hell is it glowing?"

Sarah's thoughts were also racing, but her nature was less secretive than Spike's, "I think I know why it is glowing." Answering Spike's unvoiced question; Sarah took a deep breath to answer the questioning eyes that were looking at her expectantly. "I made a wish, I've seen something like it before."

"Of course! Why didn't I remember."

"What are you talking about Spike?"

Spike glared at Buffy, but decided it was in his best interest to answer her, "Someone I met along time ago, gave it to me, as a sort of favor."

"The one I saw, could be used to grant wishes." 

"So that's why it is glowing?"

"I guess..."

"Ok, so how come we aren't out of this trunk yet? Didn't you wish to get out?"

"Maybe if we all wish?"

"Ok, on the count of three--"

"Hey! I never said you could use it!"

"Spike do you really want to spend your last minutes with me?"

"Sod it all, fine!"

The three occupants of the trunk closed their eyes, Sarah maneuvered her hand so she could hold Buffy's, she was not sure what Jareth's crystal would do to them, and she didn't want to face it alone. Buffy grasped Sarah's hand firmly, she understood Sarah's need, and in an unconscious act she stretched her other hand out to Spike, whatever they were about to face, they would face it together.

"I wish we were out of this trunk."

Nothing. That's what was left in the trunk, aside from the gentle fall of glitter and feathers.

********

Jareth was shaken out of his memories, which was well and good, it was not good to have a melancholy Goblin King. Somebody had wished themselves away.

"Better not be more Listians," he grumbled to himself, remembering all the havoc they had caused in times past. He idly wondered if there was such a thing as Listian repellant.

He stood up from his throne, and straightened his vest. Wrinkles were not imposing.

Buffy felt herself being pulled out of the trunk. Then she was falling. Spike landed first, in the pit, Sarah and Buffy fell on top of him simultaneously.

"Get off!" Spike pushed his way out from underneath the girls.

"Polite much!" Buffy picked herself up and gave a hand to Sarah, "So where are we."

"The Castle Beyond the Goblin City." Sarah said in a distant and dreamy voice, her back was to the throne and she was looking out across the Labyrinth, the sun was just rising and it was glowing like the dying embers of a fire.

"Welcome back Sarah, and who do we have here?"

"I'm Buffy and this is Spike," the Slayer turned to face their host, as it were, "and that is Sarah--wait, how do you know her?"

"Sarah and I go way back, wouldn't you say so my dear?" Sarah slowly turned to face Jareth, a moment she had both been longing for and dreading. "So Sarah, I see that you really do like my little Labyrinth, why else would you bring your friends?"

"We had no control over it. Spike's Crystal just automatically took us from the trunk to here."

"Spike? I don't remember giving a crystal to anyone named Spike." Jareth walked over to the vampire, whose uneasiness was steadily rising, both the approaching sun and approaching ruler were causing him to squirm in his place. "So, Spike, how did you get one of my crystals?"

Spike lifted his head and looked Jareth in the eye; "You gave it to me." Jareth's eyes widened in shock, he hadn't encountered eyes like that in centuries.


	4. Shakin' Things Up a Little

****

AN: Well here is the next chapter, I have now reached the end of what I have written, from here on in it is NEW to me and you, eeps!! Please let me know what you think, feedback really does help me bunches. Thanks so much for all the great feed back so far 

A-M

"Well William my boy, you did better than I ever imagined you would." William beamed with pride at his accomplishment.

"Thank you sir. It wasn't a piece of cake, though, that's for sure."

Jareth chuckled, "No my boy, never a piece of cake. I should like to reward you in some way, aside from your request to return to the Aboveground. Wasted as you will be up there, I could teach you so much here..." Jareth pulled another crystal out of the air and handed it to William.

"Sir?"

"Any time you need me, just wish." Before William could ask another question, he found himself in front of a large oak door, clutching the crystal. He raised his hand and knocked.

******

Jareth stared back into the intensity that radiated from Spike's eyes. He opened his mouth to speak one word, a question, one that encompassed all he needed and wanted to know.

"How?"

Sarah felt like the stage had been ripped out from underneath her. She had been expecting some sort of drama between herself and Jareth, not him and Buffy's boy--she mentally corrected herself, between Jareth and Spike.

"Spike you know this guy," Buffy stated, more than asked.

"Yeah pet, I do." There was a pregnant pause before Spike continued Jareth looked expectantly at Spike, as did Sarah and Buffy. Spike cleared his throat he paced the throne room his hands shoved into the pockets of his duster. "It started when I was a boy, I was about eight I guess."

"Seven actually," Jareth corrected.

"Right, well, you can't expect me to get all the details right. Like I said, I was a boy. I had an older brother and an older sister I was the youngest. My brother had somehow gotten himself mixed up with the wrong people, or demons actually, vampires to be precise. He owed them a lot of money; he was very bad at cards. Well these blokes didn't take too keenly to him owing all this money, so they came to collect. 'Course he didn't have the money, but he had given them an open invitation to the house. I was in the back bedroom with Penny, my sister, when we heard all of the noise. My mother was screaming and my brother and father were yelling furniture was being broken along with other things. My sister went out to look at what was happening, she came back and closed the door. Then she hugged my close and told me I couldn't stay, she wished me away. The next thing I knew I was here. But since there was no one," Buffy heard Spike's voice hitch, it was almost undetectable, but she heard and continued to listen to his story," to solve the Labyrinth for me, I was given a choice."

"Stay, and obey me...."

"Or solve the Labyrinth myself and return home, I chose to solve it myself. And I did."

"With very little help, I might add," Jareth looked pointedly at Sarah. Then he shifted his gaze to Spike and waited for the rest of his story.

By this time the sun was well over the horizon and Spike's uneasiness was increasing, his pacing became more agitated, but was confined to a smaller area, because of then sun-light illuminating much of the room. He hugged his duster closer before he continued.

"I lived with my Grandmother when I returned, she was a tough ol' bird. Then I earned my name, 'William the Bloody,' for my bloody awful poetry. Some reason the dreamer in me would never die. Even when I was turned I felt different, like I had somehow kept part of me that shouldn't still be in a living corpse. I tried my best to ignore it, to ignore me but Dru always brought it out. Made it hard to be the baddest of the bad, but I got over that. Then we were put in the trunk and wished ourselves here, I guess." Spike finished his emotional speech, his back facing the room.

"Come into the light, William."

"I can't." Spike turned around, an anguished look was on his face.

"Why not?"

"I'm one of them now, don't you see. I was bitten, brought over, I live off of blood now!"

Jareth stepped forward, so that the sunshine radiated around him. Sarah's breath caught in her throat, he looked as if he had stepped down from Mount Olympus itself. Buffy maintained her silence.

"Come, William, I myself am a creature of the night, in many ways," he flashed a pointed smile at Spike, "do you think I would let a little sunlight hurt you?"

Spike's shoulder's slumped and his head bowed forward, he put one foot forward and prepared to step into the sun's deadly embrace. Buffy's eyes widened as she realized what Spike was about to do. She flung her body forward with all the strength she could muster, and hurtled into Spike, causing him to fall and land several yards away from where he had been standing: with Buffy still on top of him.

"Spike I don't care what he says, you can't risk it."

"What's it to you Slayer?"

"Why because I---," Buffy's words were cut short. The ground beneath them had begun to lurch, throwing them off balance. She and Spike scrambled to their knees, as it steadily grew worse, they braced themselves against an archway. Sarah had been caught very off guard by the quaking. She had been standing next to the window, when the shaking had begun; she was tossed out the window. As she fell, she flailed her arms in a vain attempt to grab hold of something. Vain only because something grabbed a hold of her. 

Jareth instinctively rushed to Sarah's aid, it was not his turn to be the villain after all; he yanked her to his body forcefully. Sarah didn't seem to care however, her vision was still clouded with flashes of her life and she clung desperately to the loose fabric that made up his shirt. A Goblin Guard rushed into the room.

"Your Majesty, the Lady Trevlei, demands your immediate surrender."

"SHE DARES TO ASK ME TO SURRENDER!!!!!" Sarah's ears rang and the volume and the wrath that was held within Jareth's voice.


	5. Topsy Turvy

Hey guys! Hopefully this post will appear the way it should and not get all mutilated like the last post I tried to make :P. Anyways, here is the next brand spankin' NEW chapter. Woohoo! As for all the couple questions, I could be coy, but I will tell you this, romance between characters from the different universes is not gonna happen as my mind is programmed for only certain couples to get together. ;) Thanks for all of your wonderful comments. Keep them up, please? :o) A-M  
  
The sunlight which Jareth had been basking in moments before was darkened and quickly was gone, the torches in the throne room flickered faintly allowing the foursome to see vague shadowy outlines. Spike vamped out in an effort to see better. He looked over to the window, instead of some dark cloud or something along those lines (Goodyear Blimp, let'' say) he could back out hundreds of flying figures. It was alike a swarm of people.  
  
"Bloody Hell?!"  
  
"What is it William?" Jareth asked, already fearing that he knew what it was.  
  
"It is like hundreds of people sized insects." Spike walked closer to the window to see if he could make them out better. Jareth closed his eyes in thought, unconsciously pulling Sarah into an even tighter embrace. Buffy was still braced against a pillar, her wide eyes taking in the dull images that were being presented to her. Spike's hazy silhouette against the darkened window, the figures of the Goblin King and Xander's cousin.  
  
"Xander is never going to let me take care of anything again. One simple thing, and I end up in like the Twilight Zone, figures, this is so my life." She ranted to herself. Jareth blinked himself out of his thoughts, a plan of action in mind. Taking Sarah's hand within his own gloved one he strode to the entrance way to the Escher room.  
  
"Follow me," he barked back at Buffy and Spike. The two ran as best they could, with the still shaking ground, to the stairs.  
  
Sarah was surprised to find herself back in the Escher room. Not only that but it seemed completely unaffected by the attack that was rocking the rest of the castle. Jareth waited for the Slayer and the Vampire to arrive, they managed to ricochet in, Buffy barely managed to stop herself from falling off of a ledge as she ran in though, having not expected the floor to end so abruptly. Once they were all safely within. Jareth waved his hand at the doorway, it slowly became another staircase, heading off to seemingly nowhere.  
  
"Follow me," Jareth barked he tugged Sarah in behind him, her hand still firmly in his grasp.  
  
Buffy followed behind Spike, not willing to find out what it had been he had seen in the sky.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
"This is it William, lad. You can't turn back now."  
  
"I wasn't going to sir. I have to get home." The monarch stood with the child on the hill that overlooked his vast kingdom, the slythy paths that lay ahead were not easy for anyone, let alone someone who barely could tie his own shoes.  
  
"William," Jareth kneeled. "This is hard for one so young, but you are alone now."  
  
"I know, that is why I have to do this."  
  
"No, my boy, you don't. Your family is no longer where you left them."  
  
"Then I mustn't waste any time, I will have to find them after I finish this." Jareth shook his head, there was no getting through to this child, he saw no use in giving the child more grief than necessary. It was best to let him concentrate on the task at hand.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ That's it for now. More to come before too long, hopefully. Reviews do spur me on and pick up the pace though ;) 


	6. As The Slayer Falls Down

AN: Thanks for the reviews. I realised that last chapter was UBER tiny. So this one is a bit bigger :0) so Enjoy! Also, to address one question.I don't remember off the top of my head who asked (sorry!!!) I did start writing this before Buffy and Spike became an official item, I have been a Spuffy addict for years! I started writing this way back when Season 4 was actually happening. Going back and writing the rest of it now, is proving to be interesting..I keep forgetting that Dawn wasn't quite in existance yet., d'oh. Anyhow, Read, Review, Enjoy ;) Anne-Marie  
  
Buffy stumbled as she walked up another set of stairs, automatically her hand reached out to steady herself, instead she brushed against Spike's arm. He paused and looked back at her, a sober expression on his face. Buffy smiled, but stopped, somehow not sure of what to do.  
  
"How are you doing Spike?"  
  
"Just fine Slayer."  
  
"Right, because everyday you deal with stuff from you childhood."  
  
"Who says I don't?"  
  
"You aren't the brooding type Spike. That's Angel's department, he's good at it, you on the other hand, suck."  
  
"I am not brooding. Just didn't have anything to say."  
  
"That hasn't stopped you before."  
  
"Ok, I am not just fine, you happy now?"  
  
"Not really."  
  
"No, of course not." Buffy could hear Spike roll his eyes. Buffy stumbled on another step.  
  
"Ow!"  
  
"You ok there, pet?" Spike offered her a hand and was mildly surprised when she took it, her small warm hand grasping his tightly, looking for and giving reassurance in this strange land.  
  
Sarah hadn't realized how many times one could walk around the Escher room and still have infinite paths to choose from.  
  
"Jareth?" She was afraid to break the silence, that somehow it would hurt her or worse, him.  
  
"Yes Sarah?"  
  
"What's going on?"  
  
"I'm not entirely certain. Lady Trevlei has hated me for a long time now, but she has never been of any worth as an adversary. Her magic is more nominal that real. I have a feeling you and your cohorts there have more magic than she does naturally. As to how she obtained this new power, that is what we need to find out, in the mean time I am taking us somewhere safe."  
  
"The Escher Room?"  
  
"Sarah, we are already in the Escher Room. It is safe for now. None can come in here unless I will it. However, I would be a rather useless king if I stayed holed up in here."  
  
"I suppose so." Sarah was quiet in thought for a minute, then spoke again, "How is it we are safe in here?"  
  
"This room is its own reality, my reality."  
  
"But.I thought the rest of the Underground was too?"  
  
"No, I just rule that, I admit I have shaped parts of it to suit my own needs."  
  
"Ow! Ow! Ow!" Buffy tripped again.  
  
"Well, Buffy, it seems fortunate that we have arrived at our destination." Jareth addressed the cursing slayer, who was rubbing her knee. He swung open a large wooden door that looked as if it had always been there, yet Sarah would have sworn that not two seconds earlier another staircase had been in its place.  
  
"So we can stop, Mr. StairMaster?"  
  
"Stop? My dear girl we are just beginning." Through the now open door Buffy could see a landscape, riddled with small hills and valleys, lush green grass, all and all Disney couldn't have imagined a better sunny, pastoral setting.  
  
"How does that do us any good? Its sunny out, until the sun sets we are stuck here."  
  
"What are you talking about Buffy?" Sarah asked the other girl.  
  
"Look Sarah, there are things in this world, or our world, whatever, that just don't do well in the daytime. Vampires for instance."  
  
"Vampires? Buffy, you aren't making any sense.." Spike shifted to his game face.  
  
"Actually, luv, she is making perfect sense."  
  
"You look like those things that attacked us in the park." Sarah gasped.  
  
"Well yeah, you don't actually think they were science experiments gone wrong? They were vampires. Like me."  
  
Sarah backed up a little, in the limited space this cozied her up with Jareth nicely. Buffy got up from her sitting position on the steps.  
  
"There is nothing to worry about Sarah. He can't hurt you, even if he could, I wouldn't let him."  
  
"What can you do? Are you going to go all Xena on him like you did in the graveyard?"  
  
"Well yeah, it's my job. Vampire Slayer and all that jazz." Jareth quirked his head at this.  
  
"Sarah, whether William is a threat or not, that is not the issue at hand, we need to get out of here, now. If he were going to hurt us, he would have tried already. We need to get as much distance between ourselves and that two-bit hack as possible."  
  
"Ok, fine." Sarah walked out the door.  
  
"So Spike isn't a threat, how do you propose to get him out into Mary Poplins-land without turning into a IBC?"  
  
"I assure you Vampire Slayer, he is in no danger from this sunlight."  
  
""saright Buffy, I trust him."  
  
"Why Spike? How can you be sure this joker is the same guy you met way back when?"  
  
"Slayer.I know in my gut. Just trust me."  
  
"Hrmph. Fine, whatever, its your life."  
  
Jareth walked out into the glade, Spike followed him, not wishing to look cowardly and delay his exit from the Escher Room. He felt as silly as a child jumping into a swimming pool with its hand on its nose, when he slowly opened his eyes to a balmy blue sky. Standing back in the shadows Buffy watched as Spike was slowly illuminated, the black of his duster picking up some grays she had never before noticed.  
  
"You coming pet?"  
  
"Of course." Buffy ran out into the glade, catching up with Xander's cousin.  
  
"Hey Buffy."  
  
"So Sarah, we know Spike's connection, how do you fit into this cosmic puzzle?"  
  
"That is simple Buffy." Jareth turned his head to address the slayer.  
  
"Really?"  
  
"Oh yes, you see, she wished her little brother away to me, so as to make him a goblin." 


	7. Getting to the Heart of the Matter

AN: Wow! Thanks for the feedback ( Keep it coming, the more I get the more motivated I am ;) though I will keep writing anyhow, just slightly more like a mud puddle. So-enjoy!  
  
Buffy's eyes opened wide. "You wished away your little brother," her gaze flicked over to Jareth, clearly doubting Sarah's sanity, "to him?"  
  
"Yeah." Sarah didn't need Buffy to make her feel any stupider or guiltier for it. "I was younger, and stupider, and he wouldn't stop crying, and Karen was always making me baby-sit him." She defended herself lamely.  
  
"Indeed, you were quite overburdened and neglected as I remember." Jareth mocked Sarah. Spike shook his head sadly, "My sister wished me away to protect me, I wish I had been able to do the same for her." Jareth walked to Spike's side and placed a comforting hand on the vampire's shoulder. Both Buffy and Sarah were thrown by the tender moment between the two men and maybe just a little jealous.  
  
They were walking towards a dense forest that seemed to allow little sunlight through its oppressive foliage.  
  
"We should be able---" Jareth cut himself short, his gaze had drifted to the slayer, her pallor had become pale and wan. Her breathing seemed labored as well.  
  
"Able to what?" Buffy asked, getting impatient with all the secrecy, she just wanted to get out of here and home. Spike looked to her.  
  
"'Cor Slayer, you look awful."  
  
"Shut up Spike" She spun angrily to face the vampire, the momentum too much for her, she pitched forward. The world was a blur to her eyes for a moment, before they closed-- a blackness enveloping her weary mind. Jareth was the closest to Buffy he lunged forward and caught her in his arms. Without thought, Spike was next to Jareth again, his hand resting on Buffy's cheek.  
  
"Buffy." his voice was soft, her appearance lacked all of the strength he associated with her. Sarah looked at them in worry, then she looked behind them, in the distance Jareth's castle could be seen, at the heart of the Labyrinth. It was covered in the black swarm they had seen through the throne room windows. Her observations were cut short as the ground beneath them trembled again.  
  
"Quick, run to the forest." Jareth shouted. Spike grabbed Sarah's hand, running with her to the trees. A hill behind them rose up and started rolling behind them like the ocean in the middle of a huge storm.  
  
They barely made it to the edge of the forest, the rolling grass and dirt stopped, as if an invisible wall were there.  
  
"What's going on Jareth?" Sarah panted, her hand still in Spike's. It took Jareth a moment to respond.  
  
"I am not entirely sure. We are safe here, this is the oldest part of my kingdom, the magic here is the strongest in the kingdom and it will not bend to the Lady Trevlei's will so easily. Here these trees break before they bend. To break the magic here would be devastating." He took a deep breath and started walking again, further into the forest. "Follow me, there is a sanctuary not far away, we should be able to tend to the Slayer there and try to figure out what our next course of action is going to be."  
  
"Do you think she is going to be ok?" Sarah whispered nervously to the vampire. She had only known him less than a day; she was intimidated by him. She had been at first because he had reminded her of Jareth, and with good reason, it seemed, but now, well he was a vampire for heaven's sake!  
  
"I have never seen the Slayer faint. She is never weak." Spike shook his head, trying to figure it all out, but he didn't have all of the facts and thinking about it only frustrated him more. He let out a small growl, startled when he felt Sarah tug at his hand. He had forgotten he was still holding it. He looked over to her with a somewhat sheepish expression. "Sorry luv, I got carried away with my thoughts."  
  
Sarah pursed her lips and nodded, still she tugged her hand free of his and wiped it nervously on her pants. She smiled slightly; she seemed to have the luck to appear for her adventures in the appropriate clothing. She couldn't imagine what would have happened if she had wished Toby away the first time after she had gotten dressed for bed. Jareth would have seen her in her nightgown. Suddenly her mind took a more heated turn and she blushed. Shoving those thoughts away, she looked around her guiltily, only to see Spike staring at her with a funny smirk on his face.  
  
"Something has you hot and bothered love." He winked.  
  
"What are you psychic?" she covered her mouth with her hand, "Oh." She hadn't meant to say that.  
  
"No, just a vampire. You blushed, blood and all, rather tuned into that." Sarah felt her face quickly try and match the '55 cherry red corvette her last boyfriend had driven.  
  
"Oh." Both Spike and Sarah stopped walking as they came to be standing in front of a large stone building. It was about three stories tall, had a tower. No windows, and large wooden doors. I looked older than anything either had ever seen. 


	8. The Ties that Bind

Jareth shifted the weight of the slayer in his arms and managed to hold out one hand, palm outwards. Closing his eyes and concentrated he repeated the verse his mother had taught him as a child.  
  
"Sanctuary of Old, Stones that Sleep. Open your arms and eyes Protect your servant And those in his keep."  
  
Slowly the old wooden doors creeped open, without a sound. A cool air rushed out, brushing Sarah's hair away from her face. She could see a dimly lit passage. Jareth stepped across the doorway, and turned around.  
  
"Enter, quickly, before the doors forget their welcome."  
  
Both Spike and Sarah ran forward and joined Jareth, Spike on his left, Sarah on his right. Together they walked down the stone corridor. As they walked on, it got lighter. While there were still no windows, it seemed to be sun light, and not artificial light. Try as she could Sarah could not figure out where it came from.  
  
They took a sharp right, down another passage way, and through a heavy wooden door. Inside the room, the air was fresh and sweet. There was a large bed in the middle of the room. Jareth walked forward and gently placed Buffy on it. Her color was still pale, not has bad as it had been before she had collapsed though. Jareth bent over her and brushed her hair away from her face.  
  
"William, lad. There should be a blue vial, in the cupboard, over there."  
  
He pointed to a large, dark, almost black, wooden cabinet that leaned heavily against the gray stone wall. Sarah stood there, unsure of what to do. She twisted the bottom of her shirt nervously in her hands.  
  
"Sarah," Jareth spoke softly, "If you could fetch that pitcher of water and the basin and cloth." She quickly walked to the table and carried the items in question over to Jareth. He took them from her and placed them on the stand next to the bed. Wringing out the cloth he placed it on Buffy's forehead.  
  
Spike had gone to the cabinet straight away. Reaching out grabbing the heavy metal handle he pulled it forward, before realizing his hand was sizzling. As if he were holding a crucifix. Ignoring the pain he grabbed the blue vile that sat on the middle of the top shelf of the cupboard, there was nothing else in there.  
  
"Ah, thank you William." Jareth took the vial and poured a drop of its contents into the basin. The clear water slowly turned a deep red. Gradually steam began to rise up from the bowl. Jareth stepped back from the bed, indicating for the others to do so as well.  
  
"She should be feeling more herself in a few moments."  
  
"What happened to her?"  
  
"I would rather save that explaination until after she is conscious, no doubt she will want to know as well. In the mean time, why don't you tell me about the events leading up to your appearance in my throne room?" Jareth nodded his head towards the heavy table at a far corner of the huge room. Around it several chairs stood. Sitting down Spike began his story, Sarah joined the telling as well.  
  
"So you don't know why they would want you out of the way?" Jareth asked at the conclusion.  
  
"No, nothing besides the ordinary reasons of the white hats versus the black hats."  
  
"Perhaps. I doubt it wasn't a coincidence though. I have been receiving reports of Lady Trevlei disappearing from the Underground for extended periods, in the last several years.."Jareth stopped speaking, Buffy was waking up.  
  
"What bus hit me this time?" she groaned, raising an unsteady hand to her head, probing the moist cloth that lay across it. Spike quickly got up from the table and walked over to Buffy, he perched carefully on the bed.  
  
Jareth stood up and pulled out Sarah's chair for her, before joining Spike at Buffy's bedside. Sarah shook her head at this action, it surprised her that, her villain, could be such a gentleman, in every sense of the word.  
  
Once everyone was situated Jareth began his narrative.  
  
"It all has to do with how magic is transferred or exchanged."  
  
Buffy gave Spike a worried look, what did magic have to do with her feeling like roadkill? He shushed her by putting a hand lightly over hers, cool fingers wrapping around, communicating his confidence in Jareth. Buffy relaxed a little, she started to pull her hand from beneath Spike's, he might be the only constant in her life, but that wasn't necessarily a good thing, was it? She stopped her hand from shedding the vampire's, instead she rotated it so it was facing palm upwards, her fingers now curling around the back of his hand.  
  
Spike took an unneeded gasp at the slayer's actions, he had only comforted her as he had Druscilla countless times, but Druscilla had never responded so.quietly. He schooled his expression to show no surprise and focused again on what Jareth was explaining.  
  
Jareth was not unaware at what was passing between the slayer and the vampire, eyebrow arched, but only Sarah noticed, as she was the only one who was unaware of Spike and Buffy's..alliance.  
  
"As I was saying, it has to do with how magic is transferred or exchanged," Jareth watched everyone nod and continued on, "If I had known you were a slayer, Buffy, I would have made more of an effort to send you back to your world sooner. I know not how much you have been told of the origins of your powers, of Slayer powers in general. Not that there is anything general about a Slayer's abilities."  
  
He gave Buffy an approving smile, "A slayer however, draws her power from the earth, the aboveground. It is why slayers are always female. The earth's power is distinctly feminine in nature. However, the power here," Jareth waved his gloved hand, "is less.finicky, if you will. Parts of the underground are feminine in nature while parts are male and other parts are simply neutral."  
  
"There is gay magic?" Buffy muttered, "Well that explains why Wills is so gung-ho Tara after Oz." Jareth shook his head, laughing slightly.  
  
"It is a little more complicated than that. But you don't need to understand that, what you do need to understand is that your power is based on a place that you are separated from. That severing has lead you to be more than a little disoriented."  
  
"Yes, but why didn't she faint as soon as she came here? She was fine in your castle, Jareth." Sarah observed, her green gaze flicking to Buffy and then back to Jareth. As Jareth opened his mouth to speak Buffy had an image of the goblin king sporting one of Giles' tweed suits.  
  
"He reminding you of him too?" Spike whispered to Buffy. She had a hard time not giggling but gave a slight nod, eyes back on Jareth.  
  
"My castle, like the beginning of the labyrinth, if you remember it Sarah, are points in this world that are more strongly tied to the Aboveground. The mystical energies are more chaotic at the ends of the Labyrinth, a reason why it is so powerful."  
  
"That why this Lady T bint wants your house of rocks?" Spike leaned into the mattress a bit, looking at Jareth. The king nodded in agreement.  
  
"So, why doesn't she just use the beginning of the Labyrinth and not invade your castle, even though an invasion is more dramatic?" Sarah interjected, flipping a strand of hair over her shoulder.  
  
"That's simple, everyone can start the Labyrinth, but not everyone can finish it, the convergence is more powerful in my castle." Jareth's face grew grim, "but she won't be able to access it without me. Since it is more powerful it bound by more powerful magic. With me though, she could if she wished, put anything aboveground."  
  
"Like that army that swarmed your castle." Spike conjectured.  
  
"The weakening doesn't work both ways? I know you used magic in my world., but nothing?" Sarah asked worridly, she didn't fancy seeing that army destroying her world.  
  
"No, it does. When you saw me, in your parents room-we were not really there, you and your brother, with your wish had already crossed into the Underground. When I showed you the beginning of the Labyrinth, it really was the dropping of the illusion of your house." Jareth stopped, taking a breath.  
  
"Well, if the army would be as effected-that would mean she has.somehow negated the drain of power that separation from the source creates.  
  
The four in the ancient stronghold shared a worried look. 


End file.
